(5) Abstract

ActivityQuestion: What is an

abstract also known as?

Answer: Synopsis

or précis

Question: Where is it usually located in

a manuscript?

Answer: In the beginning of a manuscript

Question:

Is an

abstract an

evaluation

of the

paper?

Answer: No

Question: If not, then why write an abstract?

Answer: To provide a brief summary of a thesis, research article, proposal or conference paper.

Other common reasons are for selection and indexing purposes:

Abstracts allow readers to quickly decide whether it is within their range of interests to read the longer article.

Online databases use abstracts to index larger works. The keywords and phrases in abstracts allow for easy searching.

3 Types of Abstract

Informative AbstractThe informative abstract, also known as the complete abstract, is a summary of a paper's substance.It includes its background, purpose, methodology, results, and conclusion.An informative abstract may be viewed as a standalone document.It is usually between 150 and 200 words.

Descriptive AbstractThe descriptive abstract is a description of what the paper covers without delving into its details or substance.It is like listing the table of contents in paragraph form.For these reasons, the descriptive abstract is also known as the limited or indicative abstract.

Graphic AbstractComputer storage and retrieval systems such as the Internet influenced some scientific publications to start including graphical abstracts alongside text abstracts.

The graphic abstract is intended to visually summarize the main thrust of the article.

It is not intended to be as comprehensive as the text abstract; it is supposed to indicate the type, scope, and technical coverage of the article at a glance.

Structure Of An Abstract

Some elements relevant to the structure of an abstract:

Background information (research issues or problems)Research purpose or focusResearch methods used (experimental research, longitudinal studies, case studies, analytical models, questionnaires, etc.)Significant results or findings (if research is ongoing, then preliminary findings)Implications, conclusions and recommendations

Activity: Look at the sample abstract below and try to identify the sections of the abstract which describe the purpose, the topic, the main sections, and the conclusions.

This report investigates the current state of scanner technology and examines the predicted future advancements of scanners. A brief history of the scanner and its operation is initially outlined. The discussion then focuses on the advantages and limitations of the five main types of scanners in common use today: drum scanners, flatbed scanners, sheet-fed scanners, slide scanners, and hand held scanners. The performance of these scanners is examined in relation to four main criteria: resolution, bit-depth, dynamic range and software. It is concluded that further technological advances in these four areas as well as the deployment of new sensor technology will continue to improve the quality of scanned images. It is also suggested that specialised scanners will increasingly be incorporated into other types of technology such as digital cameras

Answer:AbstractBlue = purpose + topic Black = main sections Green Italics = conclusion

This report investigates the current state of scanner technology and examines the predicted future advancements of scanners. A brief history of the scanner and its operation is initially outlined. The discussion then focuses on the advantages and limitations of the five main types of scanners in common use today: drum scanners, flatbed scanners, sheet-fed scanners, slide scanners, and hand held scanners. The performance of these scanners is examined in relation to four main criteria: resolution, bit-depth, dynamic range and software. It is concluded that further technological advances in these four areas as well as the deployment of new sensor technology will continue to improve the quality of scanned images. It is also suggested that specialised scanners will increasingly be incorporated into other types of technology such as digital cameras

Stylistic Considerations

The abstract should not exceed the word limit; it is often one paragraph long.

Practise good editing to ensure that the Four C’s of abstract writing are met:

1. Complete - all elements are covered (background info, purpose, methods, results and conclusions)2. Concise - cut out excess wordiness or unnecessary information.3. Clear - avoid jargon and ensure it is readable and well organized.4. Cohesive - smooth linguistic and logical flow of words and ideas between the parts

ACTIVITY: Read the 3 abstracts provided in the following slides and comment on them. Look out for the following problems:

Inappropriate use of the first person, singular referents.

The use of inappropriate tenses

Unnecessary introductory language/tone evident

Sentences that are too generic

An abstract that is too vague

An abstract that covers the paper instead of the subject

An abstract that unnecessarily details the structure of the paper

Unnecessarily short length.

Abstract 1:

The following report will be structured into four sections consisting of (company name deleted) history, products, company structure and two projects that I have worked on during my first co op rotation.

Problems (abstract 1):

1. No specific information. The sentence is generic; it could apply to any report on any company, and since that is true the sentence really does not apply to anything at all. The abstract should include the history, products, company structure, and work experience that the paper covers.

2. Future tense. In an abstract, do not ever write that your paper will say something. Just say it!

3. This example is about the paper, not the subject. It does not go beyond what the Table of Contents provides. The abstract is not supposed to detail a paper's structure, it is supposed to detail a paper's information.

Problems (abstract 1):

4. First person, singular referents. There should not be any use of the word "I."

5. Unnecessarily short length. You have a page to work with; use all that you need. As you gain the ability to write good abstracts you will become better able to pare them down.

In total, this example does not qualify as an abstract, and would receive no points when graded.

Grade

In total, this example does not qualify as an abstract, and would receive no points when

graded.

Abstract 2 (for a design paper)

In recent years the use of energy efficient truss designs in residential construction has become more mainstream. To gain the full benefit of using this type of truss it is necessary to install a wind wash barrier at the attic edge to prevent air and moisture from passing through the edge of the attic insulation. Currently used wind wash barriers are not totally effective at blocking this air and moisture. Nine design constraints have been established as a basis for determining the effectiveness of a new wind wash barrier compared to two existing designs. Upon completion of an objective evaluation of the three designs versus the design constraints it is obvious that the existing designs are not totally effective and the new design would be very effective and less expensive

Comment

This is much better than the first example. Notice particularly the greater level of detail provided.

The writer is not outlining the structure of the paper and is trying to condense the key information.

The topic is identified.

Still, there are many problems

Comment1. Introductory in tone. Notice that the first sentence is introductory in tone and detail. The paper does discuss energy efficient trusses, but its subject is wind wash barriers. An improvement would combine the information of the first sentence with that provided in the second. "To gain the full benefit of using energy efficient trusses in residential construction it is necessary to install a wind wash barrier at the attic edge to prevent air and moisture from passing through the edge of the attic insulation." The fact that the use of these trusses has become more mainstream in recent years is tangential to the main thrust of the paper, which is to detail a comparison of wind wash barriers. The next step in improving the abstract would be to recognize the overall introductory tone of the first three sentences. They can all be eliminated or absorbed into the fourth sentence. "Nine design constraints have been established as a basis for determining how well a new wind wash barrier prevents air and moisture from passing through the edge of attic insulation in residential construction, as compared to two existing designs." Six lines have now been cut to less than three

Comment

2. Vague:

Obviously the paper details the design constraints and shows how they apply to the three designs being considered. This is key information.

Another paper could also cover new wind wash designs, but use different design constraints as its points of comparison.

Such a paper would be significantly different from this one, yet this abstract is too vague to show that difference. The design constraints should be stated.

Grades

This abstract would definitely get some credit.

Some specific information about the topic is provided, but more detail and less or no introduction would be an improvement.

This example is not far from being a very good effort, and as a draft it could have been the basis

of that better effort.

Abstract 3 (design paper)

(Company name) needed to solve the lamination problem on the (tool name). A team was formed with the goal of reducing the rework due to lamination by 90% and reducing machining cycle time by 50%. After careful consideration of possible causes and solutions a five-factor half-factorial design experiment on the die case process was completed. The five factors were fast shot speed, intensifier pressure, dwell time, fast shot trip position and system pressure. Random samples of parts were collected from each test run. The area of the lamination on two areas of the part was measured. (Name of software) was used to evaluate the experiment and calculate the statistical significance of each variable along with any interactions between variables. Results showed that high fast shot speed, linear slow shot speed and low intensification interact with one another to produce a lamination free part. The machine was set to the desired levels and a confirmation lot was run. The results were better than expected, with lamination having been completely eliminated

Comment

Notice the level of focus.

Whereas the previous example began with introductory language on a tangential matter, this last abstract gets directly to the problem

at hand.

The experiment by which the goal will be fulfilled is detailed. The result of the

experiment is given.

Comments

Improvements would include eliminating the first sentence, and listing the positive factors in the

sentence detailing the results in the same order as the five factors which are part of the experiment

Grades

This abstract is the best of the three and would receive full credit.